Exegesis: Convergent Paths
by Phyro Phantom
Summary: We've all heard of the story where a human gets turned into a Pokémon and saves the day... But what happens when Pokémon suddenly start turning into humans? Strangers appear in Town Square, and Damon's team realizes that nothing will ever be the same....


**MD2: Exegesis**

**Convergent Paths**

Chapter 1

Devin and Akemi stood across from them, their shadowy black capes billowing in the wind. Akemi's thin pink fur stood on end as she crouched low on all fours, her ears perking up in tension. Devin stood beside her, his dark figure obscured in the dim twilight, illuminated only by his glowing yellow patterns. His eyes glowed red with an unrelenting resolve, and he leaned forward aggressively, glaring hard at them. Alexia stood by Rick and the others, her navy blue scarf fluttering behind her. Her vivid yellow skin stood out somewhat in the darkness, especially in contrast to the black patterns that covered her hands, feet, and parts of her head. Her stance showed persistence, but her soft scarlet eyes quivered with fear. The two groups stood opposite each other in a small clearing, solace from the surrounding jungle, the one boasting unprecedented fighting prowess, while Alexia's group was superior in numbers. The fighting had turned rather grim, and something of an unspoken cease-fire had formed between them while they both contented with staring at each other and catching their breath. Rick and Damon stood a step in front of Alexia and her little brother, their capes billowing heavily in the wind like flags. Rick's black fur made him nearly invisible in the dark, leaving his bright red feathers the only thing clearly distinguishable. Damon had thin fur that was the same color as Alexia's skin, so he stood out about as much as she did. He'd let his hair grow out near the top of his head, where it spiked up lazily. His tail quivered in the wind behind him, though it was surprisingly still compared to his cape. At the front of the billowy clothe, near his neck, the fabric broke and was connected by a metal chain. Dangling from the middle of it was a shiny light blue orb that gave off a mysterious glow. Neither he nor anyone else had ever figured out what it was, but Damon insisted that he fought better when it was near him, so he decided to make it part of his outfit. His black-tipped ears quivered from the breeze, but they managed to hold relatively still through his concentration. Damon had always been a strong leader, despite his age, and he was perhaps the most prominent fighter on their team – always someone you could rely on. Although, Alexia thought, Rick had always been more... protective. Finally, her eyes turned to glance at her sibling, who was trembling, but he managed to keep a solid expression. His dark blue skin was the perfect shade to remind one of the ocean, and it was patterned a lighter shade under his chin, on his stomach, and on his tail fin. He stood warily on all fours, his head fin quivering tensely. Bright orange gills extruded from his cheeks, which he used to breathe underwater. They'd always been close, but lately Alexia had felt a little distanced from him... and she wasn't quite sure if it was her fault or not. She might have stared contemplatively at him a while longer had not a sudden loud noise diverted her attention away.

A shriek pierced the sky as a swirling vortex suddenly formed itself between the two opposing groups, quivering and fluctuating violently as it distorted the space around it. Time stood still as neither side knew how to react to the phenomenon, when suddenly realization tore over Damon and he cried out excitedly.

"It's Celebi! And Grovyle!" Damon threw a fist up triumphantly as an elated expression came over his face, making his voice heard over the violent winds and the new piercingly high pitched sounds that the swirling dark fountain was emitting. Alexia glanced over at Rick briefly, his bewildered expression matching her feelings perfectly. Her little brother, however, seemed to be just as excited as Damon was, his eyes shining with something one might describe as nostalgia.

The portal's diameter doubled in size in a fraction of a second, then settled into a normalized state as two figures walked confidently out of it. Damon seemed to have been right, Alexia mused as she stared at the newcomers - the two Pokémon appeared to be an oddly colored Celebi and a Grovyle. Wait... was it _that_ Grovyle? The so-called "thief" that turned out to be Damon's partner in the future? Alexia hadn't seen him personally after Dusknoir had pulled Damon and her brother into the future, but he sure did look like the Grovyle she remembered. Of course, at the time she had looked at him with contempt as they dragged him away in chains. She remembered the thing that most struck her about him was his calm expression and polite manners... she could see logic and intelligence behind his eyes, and she always wondered how a guy like him could do something so detestable. After Alex came back from the alternate future, he explained everything and it all made sense... and it was quite a while before Damon wound up back in the present. Could it possibly be the same Grovyle? Alex had said that all the Pokémon from the alternate time line had ceased to exist, so it was quite a surprise when Damon came back. But now the others too? She could only hope Dusknoir wouldn't come back... the way he had abused their trust still sent shivers down her spine.

As the vortex faded out, and the new arrivals began to orient themselves to their current surroundings, Damon's face flashed with confirmation and he darted towards the pair.

"Grovyle! It really is you!" He ran over to the green-skin reptile and clasped his leg like a young child might do.

"Damon! Nice to see you again." She thought he said something else, but it was lost in the wind, and she was too tense to move closer, still watching Devin and Akemi intensely with her peripheral vision.

She missed the rest of their opening words, but the newcomers started towards her, joined by Damon, who was laughing with a surprising lack of worry.

"Hey guys! I want you to meet someone." Damon's face glowed almost as brightly as the orb that hung around his neck.

"Damon, we don't have much time for introductions at the moment," Rick said curtly.

"Ah come on, Rick, it'll just take a minute," Alex said, "besides the fight has pretty much reached a standstill anyway."

"I think the girl is up to something," Alexia said warily, still having trouble giving appropriate attention to both of the focus-worthy events going on.

"Don't sweat it, Lexi," Damon said jokingly, using her nickname unexpectedly, "We'll be fine now that Grovyle and Celebi are here."

The pink floating pixie giggled carelessly, her antennae vibrating gently from the wind and the sudden mid-air tumble she performed. "Don't worry dearies, big Grovyle is here to protect you now. Right sweetie?"

Her green-toned companion grimaced, blushing slightly as looked away. "Yeah, whatever." The leaves protruding from various points in his body joined all the other loose objects in swaying rapidly with the breeze. The green on his face had tinted nearly to the color of his red patterns, when he visibly shook it off and changed the subject.

"So how's it been, Alex? Still living under Damon's shadow?" Grovyle smirked jokingly.

"N-no, I'm actually a lot stronger since the last time we met. Though I must admit I owe it all to you and Damon... you two were really inspirational to me."

Alexia caught herself feeling jealous that Alex seemed more dependent on Damon and Grovyle than her. Wasn't she his older sister? Didn't that merit anything? But then again she'd never really been a good sister, had she? Confusion and shame tore through her mind despite her attempts to dismiss them, breaking her fighting disposition.

Rick said, "Alex and Damon have told us a lot about you two."

Celebi giggled ecstatically again. "What did they say?"

"Well they said you helped them out a lot - and that you're considerably good fighters yourselves."

"Oh Damon, you know I have weakness for flattery," she teased, glancing playfully at the brightly colored rodent.

"I just told them what I remember, Celebi," Damon responded plainly.

"Well, it's not too far from the truth," Grovyle said, "Though Celebi is more of a support unit than an actual fighter. She can fight with her psychic abilities though. Kind of like that Espeon over there."

Eyes turned towards his subject.

"Who are those two anyway? And what's going on? This place looks nearly as bad as where we came from."

"About that," Damon said, his expression turning serious. Eyes diverted again to look to the strong-willed little fighter. He was so young, but his strength was truly something to aspire to.

"They call themselves Devin and Akemi, and they claim to serve a 'Vortex' who seems to be in command of them somehow. They seem a bit hesitant about fighting, but the Umbreon tends to be rather brutal when it comes down to it. They're crazy strong, and the girl seems to be able to manipulate other Pokémon with her psychic powers. Luckily, Rick's dark aura can shield us from it, but it's still quite the potential threat. They seem bent on taking over the village, though I'm not sure to what end. The entire inhabitants seem to be under his power now, and he's led them all away somewhere into the forest. These two are blocking our pursuit, and I'm afraid of losing the towns folk. We can't break through though, and they don't seem intent on baking down anytime soon. Think you guys can help?"

"Well, count me in. I love a good fight, and it's not like I have anything better to do," Grovyle said with some enthusiasm.

"I can help too," Celebi chimed in sweetly, "besides, wherever Grovyle goes I go with him."

"Yeah I think they've kinda noticed by now," Grovyle said sarcastically, though it was not in an entirely cruel tone.

"But how did you two get here? I thought you disappeared?" Alex inquired.

"Well, it seems that Dialga made a bridge between our time lines to allow Damon to get back here. When we realized this, it wasn't long before Celebi managed to get us over here. Sadly, Dusknoir was still bent on making life miserable for everyone, so we were forced to eliminate him."

Damon frowned. "Always a regrettable decision, but I suppose it was necessary."

"Indeed, quite regrettable."

"Enough garble! Let's finish this!" Heads turned as the commanding voice suddenly shot out from across the clearing. Devin crouched low briefly, then sprinted across the clearing and lashed out violently at Damon. The Leader reacted quickly, blocking the attack with one disproportionately small arm. Devin seemed to hang in mid-air for a second, but then he returned to the ground for a moment before he pushed forward and bit into Damon's stomach, tearing his flesh open with sharp fangs. Alexia heard herself screaming from the sudden sight of so much blood, and she felt the strength drain out of her as a cold shiver ran down her back and froze her to the core. Grovyle responded without hesitance however, knocking the dark colored canine away with a powerful blow.

"Damon! Are you all right?" Rick ran up to cover him, but Alexia still couldn't move.

"I... don't think so..." Damon muttered, leaning heavily over the wound.

"Here, let me help," Celebi said hastily, floating over to Damon.

The pink fairy closed her eyes intensely and began waving her hands around in the air in an intricate pattern as shimmering purple energy began to form around her and spread out to Damon.

"Restoration Chime!" she cried suddenly, gesturing forward with her little arms as the energy began to pulse rapidly towards her patient. A bright ringing sound was heard, and Damon's breathing began to slow as the wound closed up and the blood dried away.

"Thanks, Celebi," Damon said gratefully, returning to his full height.

"No problem honey," she said teasingly, flipping around in mid-air and giggling madly.

"W-what was that move?" Alexia asked, finally managing to speak up.

"It's a move Celebi came up with," Grovyle explained, "it's some sort of combination of Wish and Heal Bell, allowing her to use her aura to heal wounds. She's been working on it for quite some time."

"Oh... I see..." Alexia said, flustering a bit.

"SHUT UP!" Devin roared, charging forward again. He rushed at Damon, but the sparky mouse was ready for him this time. Damon drew his sword from his sheath and tore it across Devin's neck all in one clean motion, causing his target to flip over backwards from the impact and land hard on his back. Devin was quick to recover, but he gritted his teeth sharply and winced as blood continued to pour out steadily from under his chin. His collar seemed oddly undamaged, but the skin directly above it was marred terribly.

"Akemi!" he coughed, struggling to speak.

Damon walked forward slowly, his sword clutched tightly in his hand.

"Don't make me do this, Devin," Damon said calmly.

"A...ke...mi..." Devin staggered, coughed up a vat of blood, and finally collapsed to the ground.

Damon stopped, and eyes turned to Akemi. She was shaking violently, and her eyes sparkled with wetness. She seemed to hesitate, her body shivering wildly while the wind sent ripples through her fur. Suddenly her eyes narrowed and she cried out loudly across the clearing.

"Stay away from him!" There was a flash and a pink blur, and suddenly Damon found himself on the ground several yards away from where he'd been standing before. Akemi crouched over him threateningly, her eyes glowing with rage.

"I'll crush your mind!" she shrieked mindlessly as the ruby on her forehead started to pulse with a vibrant red light. Damon flinched, but Rick tore across the grass and threw himself completely into a frantic shoulder-tackle, sending Akemi rolling away. Damon jumped to his feet, and the pair assumed a defensive stance as their companions caught up with.

"They're too strong to take on alone," Damon said loudly, "we need to stay together and use combo attacks!"

"Get away from me!" Akemi screamed at random, "You killed him! You killed him..."

Her voice started breaking up, but nobody could tell because of the aural chaos going on around them.

"Grovyle, let's do it!" Damon shouted determinedly. Grovyle nodded quietly.

"Everyone else, keep up the assault and watch our backs!"

Damon and Grovyle leapt to the front of the group and assumed complimentary stances.

"Finish Strike!" they yelled in unison, crouching low in preparation.

The pair tore across the field like green and yellow blurs, their bodies straining from the sheer speed of the movement. Akemi saw Grovyle coming with a Leaf Blade and managed to brace herself for the blow, turning her head aside and tensing her core muscles. She closed her eyes on impact, but was quick to recover. As soon as she could see again, her eyes widened in shock as she realized that Damon was standing there behind her, his tail glowing brightly with metallic energy. He spun around fiercely, his tail solidifying into pure steel as it came crashing into her back. She cried out as she lost her footing and fell forward into Grovyle's continued onslaught. Damon and Grovyle knocked her back and forth between them until she recovered and blocked Damon's kick by pushing it away with her head. Damon cringed, and Akemi saw her chance and leapt forward, but Grovyle was already flying towards her with his right arm pulled back far, the blade-like leaf protruding from it glowing with green aura. He caught the blade under her body and launched her into the air violently as she spun around uncontrollably. Using Grovyle as a platform, Damon tore into the sky after her and sent her spiraling back down to earth with a devastating blow from his iron-turned tail. Grovyle smirked and raised up a fist carelessly. There was a violent cracking sound as Akemi's back collided full force with Grovyle's fist. Her body hung there for a second, then Grovyle dug his sharp-tipped fingers into her skin and smashed her head into the ground. He released at the last second, and her limp body bounced up into the air again. Grovyle rushed forward and back flipped sharply, crashing his feet into her and sending her back up into the air again where Damon thrust his foot into her stomach and drove her down into the grass with the full force of his fall. Akemi groaned helplessly, and Damon drew his sword again and held it threateningly up to her neck.

"I'd really rather not kill you," Damon said earnestly, "I don't know who this Vortex guy is, but I'm sure we can work something out."

"No..." she breathed softly, "there is no reasoning with him. Kill me now and give me the honor of a fighter's death. I don't want to die in my sleep from having my brain severed from my body. Go on you rat, do it!"

Damon stared at her quizzically.

"I really don't want to kill you," he repeated, "if you're fighting under coercion, I'm sure we can help you. You don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"Is... is Devin... still alive?"

"Yeah, he's fine," Damon said casually, "Celebi's helping him out. He's still out cold though."

"Just kill me," she repeated.

"You don't really want to die, do you? Just let us help you."

"The kid has a point here," Grovyle put in, walking over to the scene, "there's no point in throwing your life away."

"You don't understand!" Akemi screeched, "the collars have electrical wiring that's attached directly to our spinal cords. All it takes a push of a button to kill us instantly! We don't choose our fate, it's dictated to us. But here I have a chance to change it. Just kill me now so no one else gets hurt. Please, it's really the only way."

"I'm sorry, but I'm not willing to do that," Damon said. "There must be some way we can help you."

"There isn't. Now let's get this over with. Here you, green guy. You do it. This kid isn't man enough to kill me."

"Look, we're not the killer types," Grovyle said flatly. "You're just going to have to get used to it."

"I'm dead either way! Why don't you just get it over with?" Her eyes burned with desperation.

There was some noise as Rick, Alexia, and her brother approached the arguing trio.

"Sorry we weren't much help," Rick said jokingly, "we just couldn't resist watching a good show."

"S-sorry, I'm not... really feeling well..." Alexia stammered, clinging tightly to Rick's hand.

"You two are so amazing!" Alex shouted vibrantly, "You need to teach me how to do that!"

Damon smiled. "Don't worry Alex, I'm sure you and Alexia will come up with something just as cool."

Alexia perked at hearing her name mentioned.

"Me?" she said, "well I guess.... maybe if you teach us."

"Would you shut up and kill me already?" Akemi broke in.

"Look, we're not going to do that okay?" Damon said with finality, "We're going to find a way to help you. Trust me."

Celebi fluttered over to the group, nearly forgotten by her comrades.

"Well, Blacky over there is gonna be just fine, he just needs a while to wake up. So what'd I miss dearies?"

"Enough," Damon said flatly, "Akemi wants us to kill her and it turns out they can't fight back against Vortex because he has a device that can terminate them instantly."

"Oh, well isn't that a shame!" Celebi said, her face suddenly taking on a very concerned look.

"Look, don't waste your time feeling sorry for me," Akemi grumbled, "there isn't time for this. Just kill us and go after Vortex before things get any worse."

"Don't give up so easily Akemi," Damon said, "I think I know a way to help you."


End file.
